National Film Registry names 25 films to preservation list

Reuters Staff

3 Min Read

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A range of movies from comedy “Airplane!” to George Lucas’ “The Empire Strikes Back” and 1906 short film “A Trip Down Market Street” were named to the National Film Registry on Tuesday, ensuring their preservation for future generations.

A scene from the 1976 film "All the President’s Men" with Dustin Hoffman (L) and Robert Redford is shown in this undated publicity photo. REUTERS/Warner Home Video/Library of Congress/Handout

Among others are horror film “The Exorcist,” political drama “All the President’s Men,” 1959 African-American cultural exploration “Cry of Jazz” and director John Huston’s war documentary “Let There Be Light,” which was banned in the U.S. for 35 years.

The Library of Congress picks 25 movies each year that are deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant to be preserved for all time due to their significance to American culture.

Movie preservation has grown increasingly important over the last decade or more because about half of the films produced before 1950 and as many as 90 percent before 1920 were made from film stock that is decaying or has already decayed.

“The National Film Registry is a reminder to the nation that the preservation of our cinematic creativity must be a priority,” Librarian of Congress James Billington said in a statement.

Some 2,112 movies were nominated in 2010 by the public, then chosen by Billington after consultation with the National Film Preservation Board and the library’s movie staff.

The full list of 25 films follows:

1. Airplane (1980)

2. All the President’s Men (1976)

3. The Bargain (1914)

4. Cry of Jazz (1959)

5. Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (1967)

6. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

7. The Exorcist (1973)

8. The Front Page (1931)

9. Grey Gardens (1976)

A scene from the 1980 film "Airplane!", with Leslie Nielsen is shown in this undated publicity photo. REUTERS/Paramount Home Video/Handout